A campaign to rebuild a much-loved attraction in Pittenweem is gathering pace after a mix-up saw a model village wrongly removed from the local recycling centre.
Locals were left dismayed after workers hauled away the small-scale settlement from Charles Street, where it had been built over many years by recycling centre worker Rab Elder and his colleagues using odds and ends people had thrown away.
Staff tended to the intricate display during breaks and after work, and their efforts transformed a corner of the rubbish tip to cheer up people of all ages.
However, a breakdown in communication led to the village being taken down last month.
Staff mistakenly thought the construction would have to be removed because Mr Elder was retiring.
Bosses at Resource Efficient Solutions, the arms-length organisation which runs Fife’s recycling sites, have insisted that is not the case and say they want to work with locals to get it reinstated.
A social media drive for people to donate items has now started and Mr Elder has been invited back to oversee the rebuilding programme.
Local councillor Linda Holt said she had been told by the chief operating officer of Resource Efficient Solutions that the village was not to be removed and had been “horrified” when she saw that only a few shrubs and barren soil left behind.
She said it had been a “mistake everyone is very sorry about”.
“The chief operating officer was clear to me that the model village was a thing of beauty which he wanted to see retained, not least because many people have contacted him about it,” she added.
“Rab has been given permission to come in and create a new village.
“I hope a community group will come together now to support him in this work.”
A Facebook page is being created for people who want to get involved to rebuild the village, which formerly featured dolls houses, toy cars, a miniature railway and even a lighthouse.
Robin Baird, chief operating officer at Resource Efficient Solutions, said: “We are happy to work with the community to reinstate the village but need to be careful as it is a working site so access needs to be carefully maintained.”
